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Tag Archives: whale watching

Hermanus – South Africa – September 2019

28 Saturday Sep 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels outside China

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

Birkenhead House, cliff walking, Hermanus, South Africa, sunset over the sea, whale watching

A beautiful seaside town definitely worth visiting!

fullsizeoutput_8c5Three weeks ago I arrived in South Africa and have been travelling around a bit with a visit to Kruger National Park in the mix.  My friends who live here in Pretoria recommended I visit Hermanus, a seaside town south east of Cape Town.  My travel agent booked me into Birkenhead House, a gorgeous cliff top hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.fullsizeoutput_8c2I was driven from Cape Town to Hermanus which took about an hour and a half and upon arrival at Birkenhead House, I was offered lunch as my room was not quite ready.  I decided to sit outside and was brought a complimentary cocktail followed by a glass of wine and freshly baked bread.fullsizeoutput_8bfIMG_7059I had advised the hotel of my dietary requirements and the chef made me a delicious salad and a warm new potato dish.  Both so good! fullsizeoutput_8c1It was then time to go to my room but first decided to take a look around the hotel.  It is beautifully decorated, so stylish with huge sofas to sit in to read a book or just take in the fabulous vista.IMG_7135

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IMG_7097There are two pools, one inside the building complex and the other an infinity edge pool overlooking the ocean. Bit too chilly to swim but could imagine relaxing in the pool with ocean views.fullsizeoutput_8c4fullsizeoutput_8c8Then to top it off my room also had its own pool along with a nice outdoor area and a really lovely bathroom.IMG_7070fullsizeoutput_8c9fullsizeoutput_8c3The staff had left me a small bottle of champagne as a welcome gift which was very kind and I was told the mini bar contents were complimentary as I had paid for an inclusive food and beverage package.fullsizeoutput_8caI decided to go out and explore the area so walked along the cliff tops for about an hour to reach the township.  It was rather windy but the views were spectacular so I made up my mind that every morning I would take a long walk along the cliff tops where I was greeted by many friendly people out walking or jogging.fullsizeoutput_8ccIMG_7105fullsizeoutput_8cbThe town of Hermanus is quite small but has some lovely quaint paved small streets and great bookshops.IMG_7115IMG_7117Before I arrived in Hermanus I found out it was Whale watching season so booked a tour as they are very popular and book out quickly.  We were given a ten minute talk on the history of the Southern Right Whale after which we went out in the bay for about two hours.  We were very lucky and followed a mum Southern Right Whale and her baby near the shore (not great photos though).fullsizeoutput_8bcfullsizeoutput_8bdMost afternoons I would sit on a day bed reading my book and enjoying uninterrupted views of the ocean and on one occasions saw a whale breaching. Now that was a magnificent sight.fullsizeoutput_8c6All meals at Birkenhead House were delicious and made with fresh local vegetables and on my last evening I had my dinner inside with an American couple then stepped outside to watch the magnificent sunset.IMG_7137fullsizeoutput_8c7IMG_7129And so after four days it was time to move on…taking with me my beautifully presented clean laundry!fullsizeoutput_8be

 

 

 

 

Ulladulla & Braidwood – New South Wales – Australia – June 2019

30 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Abion cafe, Australia, Braidwood, dining with friends, Mollymook Golf Club, New South Wales, Ulladulla, whale watching

A weekend away down the south coast trying to spot whales!

fullsizeoutput_814I have known my friend Lyn for over thirty-five years so when she moved back to Australia from Canada I promised I would visit when they had built their new home.  It’s exactly what I did a couple of weekends ago.  The drive from Canberra to Ulladulla is exactly two and a half hours and is very pleasant.

I arrived around 3pm and after a look around their beautiful home and garden we sat on the balcony enjoying a glass of bubbles whilst looking over the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of a whale.  The girls did but unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to put on my glasses so no sighting for me.

Our first night we had dinner at a lovely casual Japanese restaurant.  I don’t usually like Japanese food but the tofu was very good.  The girls loved their meals though and intend to make this restaurant one of their favourites.fullsizeoutput_80f

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fullsizeoutput_810 The next morning we took a lovely walk with the dogs; through bushland and along the beachfront where the dogs jumped immediately into the water.  It was about twenty-one degrees so no need for big jackets and gloves like I have to wear at the moment in Canberra.fullsizeoutput_816

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fullsizeoutput_815The girls had booked a table for lunch overlooking the ocean at the Mollymook Golf Club but before we went there, we went to the local lighthouse where we walked along a pathway of interesting trees and shrubs to arrive at a viewing platform to see the ocean.fullsizeoutput_819IMG_6110fullsizeoutput_818fullsizeoutput_817fullsizeoutput_81cThe views from inside the golf club were also very beautiful and it was here I saw my first whale (well a spout of water and a side fin) and a mum dolphin and her baby.  Very exciting but no photos as it was too quick a sighting.fullsizeoutput_81bfullsizeoutput_81aI really had a great few days with the girls as they are such great company and it was so nice to stay in their fabulous newly built home, but it was time to leave.   I decided to stop at a lovely historic country town on the way home called Braidwood.  I parked up one end of the main street and walked up and down both sides to check out all the shops and pick a nice cafe for lunch.  There are some beautiful old buildings but wow it was so incredibly cold.40EDF8A9-D7F6-4305-B9A6-9DE5B62A2AC2fullsizeoutput_81efullsizeoutput_81fI decided on a warm and cosy cafe called Abion which was so pretty inside with its fresh vegetables on display as well as old aluminium cans and tins amongst many other things.fullsizeoutput_821fullsizeoutput_820I ordered a really delicious coconut, sweet potato and split pea soup with a pot of peppermint tea and of course a small bowl of chips and sat on the old wooden bench before an old wooden table!  A lovely environment to eat lunch on such a cold day.8EDC7554-FC5E-4FB0-94DC-E0DA8D8AC154And on the way back to my car I walk past more historic buildings and some street art next to a sign showing people their dogs cannot poop in the street!IMG_6132fullsizeoutput_824

Recent Posts

  • A visit to Ulladulla (2) – New South Wales – Australia – September 2022
  • A visit to Ulladulla – New South Wales – Australia – September 2022
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